Imagine buying your clothes off Craigslist, or being forced to shop exclusively at the same Swedish mega-chain as everyone else in the city (and we aren’t talking H&M, here.) What if you couldn’t try anything on until your bags were hauled home? Horrifying, right? And yet, this sort of guesswork is exactly what goes on each time we revamp our apartments. In fact, urban dwellers have settled for a scrounge-and-see approach to their pads: with space and time at a premium, we kind of take whatever décor others bequeath to us, and then work around it. But your personal style shouldn't just reflect itself sartorially, and mydeco.com is about to help you express yourself at home too.
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Thanks to their all-encompassing shopping tool, wannabe interior designers can now take potential furnishings for a spin without having to haul them up to a five-story walk-up. mydeco.com has an intuitive 3-D tool that’ll create a room (based on your specs!), help you search for a specific item, and try it on for size before you whip out any cash. Everything from wall color to window placement is customizable; mydeco.com searches handpicked retailers to let you try out furniture that is currently on sale at fashion-forward stores like Design Within Reach, The Conran Shop, and Unica Home. A room can be dreamed up, designed, and realized, in one swoop.
And, in the event that you're all for dressing up your digs, but don’t know where to start, mydeco.com has a Polyvore-like tool, to help you assemble your own personal mood board. And obvi, mydeco.com is free, web-based, and sharable, meaning you can have your pals (or the mydeco.com community) comment on your TDF (to-die-for) digs. To test the tool, Refinery29 dreamt up three perfect bedrooms based on some killer outfits. Check out the results, and remember: It’s your space. Why shouldn’t it show off your style?
PUNCH IT OUT
Topshop Black Premium Apron Jacket, $175, available at Topshop.com; Forever21 Arrowhead Studs, $3.80, available at Forever21.com; The Lake And Stars Fingerprint Silk-Georgette Tank, $165, available at Net-A-Porter.com; Bernhard Wilhelm For Uslu Airlines Nail Polish, about $25, available at UsluAirlines.com; Cheap Monday Monolit Wedge, $115, available at Karmaloop.com.
Topshop Black Premium Apron Jacket, $175, available at Topshop.com; Forever21 Arrowhead Studs, $3.80, available at Forever21.com; The Lake And Stars Fingerprint Silk-Georgette Tank, $165, available at Net-A-Porter.com; Bernhard Wilhelm For Uslu Airlines Nail Polish, about $25, available at UsluAirlines.com; Cheap Monday Monolit Wedge, $115, available at Karmaloop.com.
Small space, bare walls, hardwood floors...this living situation applies to 90% of the peeps we know. The best bet for making a statement without coming across as cluttered is to go back to basics with strong shapes, simple prints, a unifying pop of color, and clean surfaces.
A couple well-picked and punchy pieces makes sure you'll not only turn heads, but save closet real estate as well. Like the outfit, here's a room that goes back to basics with strong shapes, simple prints, a unifying pop of color and clean surfaces. A hint of color from the bedspread brightens up the contrasting graphics of the carpet. The result is crisp, together and completely cool.
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TRUE ROMANCE
ASOS Premium Merino Wool Over-The-Knee Socks, $18, available at Asos.com; Topshop Oversized Spot Tee, $75, available at Topshop.com; Eugenia Kim Genevieve Beret, $209, available at EugeniaKim.com; J. Crew Saunter Twill Shorts, $98, available at Net-A-Porter.com; True Facts Bag, $79, available at ModCloth.com.
ASOS Premium Merino Wool Over-The-Knee Socks, $18, available at Asos.com; Topshop Oversized Spot Tee, $75, available at Topshop.com; Eugenia Kim Genevieve Beret, $209, available at EugeniaKim.com; J. Crew Saunter Twill Shorts, $98, available at Net-A-Porter.com; True Facts Bag, $79, available at ModCloth.com.
Your bedroom should feel like a retreat. No matter where or how you live, returning to your very own space at night should be the most comforting, beautiful thing in the world. If you mix neutrals, clean whites, and warm lighting, your room will immediately feel inviting. Add a touch of green-blue for a youthful vibe, and then hang a sconce and antiqued mirror for a hint of romanticism. The same applies for your cozy daywear as well: Nothing gets rid of mid-winter blues like a pop of teal!
THE TAO OF NOW
3.1 Phillip Lim Tapered Trouser, $375, available at OtteNY.com; Monserat De Lucca by Mafia Necklace, $63, available at Modcloth.com; Miu Miu Wallet, $365, available at MiuMiu.com; Bell-Sleeve Tee, $38, available at NastyGal.com; Sephora Jumbo Liner, $10, available at Sephora.com; Dieppa Restrepo Lady Bootie, $426, CreaturesOfComfort.us
3.1 Phillip Lim Tapered Trouser, $375, available at OtteNY.com; Monserat De Lucca by Mafia Necklace, $63, available at Modcloth.com; Miu Miu Wallet, $365, available at MiuMiu.com; Bell-Sleeve Tee, $38, available at NastyGal.com; Sephora Jumbo Liner, $10, available at Sephora.com; Dieppa Restrepo Lady Bootie, $426, CreaturesOfComfort.us
Okay, let’s be reasonable: We aren’t all neat freaks. But if you use your penchant for collecting and displaying to your advantage, you can make a real statement with all of your tchotchkes. Cornflower blue is as cheerful as our palette gets, so we upped the quirk quotient with a decorative deer-head and our favorite piece of art. As a centerpiece, a poster bed is exceptionally eye-catching, but with simple lines and smart placement, it keeps the room fun, cozy, and welcoming. Now, if we could only say the same thing about our closets…